OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25271, 25 August 1947, Page 8

OBITUARY

THE REV. T. W. ARMOUR The Rev. Thomas White Armour, one of the best-known figures in the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, died at hi£ home in Christchurch yesterday morning. He had been ill for some months. Though he retired after 22 years as minister of the Knox Presbyterian Church, Bealey avenue, about a year ago, on reaching the retiring age of 65 years, he accepted an appointment as commissioner of the maintenance of the ministry committee of the General Assembly, and remained an indefatigable worker until illness compelled him to rest.

Born at Kirkintilloch, Scotland, Mr Armour was educated at the public school and later at Allan Glen’s Technical School, Glasgow, and Skerry’s College, Glasgow. At th? age of 17 he entered the servs.ee of the Glasgow Corporation; but he began to study theology. When he was 21 he resigned to give all his time to preparation for the ministry. He passed the subjects of the preliminary examination of Glasgow University on the higher standard, and gained the James Pater-

son bursary. He was a prize-winner in most of his subsequent arts classes and in the classes of English language and literature and political economy.. In the aggregate for theology at Glasgow University he was first or second. Entering the ministry, he served at Leeds, Fort Augustus, and the Ness Bank Church of Scotland, Inverness, at the last charge being appointed to organise interest in the foreign missions of the church. He was prominent in the first no-licence campaign in Scotland. In 1924 Mr Armour received a call to succeed the Rev. Dr. R. Erwin at Knox Church, Christchurch. During the depression he was mainly responsible for the organisation of the social council of the churches and the churches’ economic committee. He also represented the churches on the boyr’ employment committee. Mr Armour always took a great interest in St. Andrew’s College, and was a member of the board of governors for about 16 years. He gave religious instruction to senior forms of the college. For a number of years he acted as convener of the maintenance of the ministry committee, and for two terms was Moderator of the Christchurch Presbytery. Mr Armour is survived by his wife, a daughter, Mrs. A. W. Thomson, and a son, Major K. I. Armour. Tribute From Moderator Speaking at St David’s Church, the Moderator of the Presbytery, the Rev. D. D. MacLachlan. said last evening that a giant had fallen—“not into obscurity, but into lasting remembrance by the whole community for which he laboured for 22 years. He belonged to us all. and to the ages.”

MAJOR H. C. NUTSFORD

’P.A.) AUCKLAND. August 24. Major Henry Charles Nutsford, M.8.E.. of Epsom, one of the original members of the New Zealand Staff Corps, which was formed on the introduction of compulsory military training in 1911, has died at the age of 84 years. For nine years, from 1920, Major Nutsford was in charge of the veterans’ home at Three Kings. Going overseas with the main body as second-in-command of the Otago Mounted Rifles, Major Nutsford served on Gallipoli and in Egypt. Mrs Nutsford, one of the first white! children io be born at Paparoa, North I Auckland, and the first Paparoa child! to be married there, died two years ago. | Major Nutsford is survived by three daughters and a son. . |